


WICKED's the world, so relentless in it's ways

by Nanashi_Soldier



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, More Ships to come, Most ships are minor, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, spoilers if you haven't read Scorch Trials or Death Cure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-04-20 21:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 20,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4802819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nanashi_Soldier/pseuds/Nanashi_Soldier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You would think Thomas would be glad to be rescued. Happy to learn that some of them had families, real identities. That life was more than what WICKED put them through. But with it came the realization that none still seemed to remember their past.</p>
<p>It caused Thomas to notice that the removal of the swipe didn't bring back memories. So what <i>did</i> happen when the others went through the swipe removal process?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Illusion

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read Scorch Trials or Death Cure, there will be a bit of a spoiler in the flow. I lost touch with my beta so I'm all on my own with writing so I'm all over the place with what I update. Oops.
> 
> I have like three or four half written TMR/TW fics. Oops.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_  
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._  
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._  
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Thomas just gazed at the wall, knees curled up to his chest. He wanted to scream, to yell, to cry. He honestly wasn't sure what to believe anymore. He wanted things to return how they had been back in the Glade. Back when the others didn't trust him, Gally was a shank to him, Chuck was still alive, and life just seemed normal.

Perhaps the Scorch had destroyed all of those. The nightmares of the cranks and what they all could have become had most not been immune ensured he knew his place. He never wanted to become like that. And, most of all, he hadn't wanted to see Newt become like that. Seeing the disease beginning to tear apart his friend, having the letter pushed into his hands, it was enough to have Thomas _wanting_ a cure before it was too late.

But now... Now nothing made sense. That world he lived in prior... The world _all of them_ had lived in... It didn't exist.

That thought was hard to accept. It was all just another test. Another trial. Another phase to their game. WICKED was messing with them once again.


	2. Army Of One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fight or flight. Thomas was interested in finding the others and escaping. Getting rescued wasn't in the plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [b]Beginning is a spoiler to Scorch Trials and Death Cure. You've been warned![/b]
> 
> A lot of this follows along with the books and I don't own the books.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_  
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._  
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._  
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

 

_The letter in his pocket burned, his curiosity probably would have gotten the best of him had Brenda and Minho not stepped out of the weapons closet at that time. He felt relieved, but nervous. Whoever had caused this, he didn't want to encounter them. He wanted to find the others, find Jorge, grab the Berg and go._

_Go where? That he wasn't quite sure, but there had to be some place. Some place far from WICKED's grasp. Far from the sick joke that their lives had become._

_Hallway after hallway, they turned up no sign of their friends. No secret door that they could have been hidden in. Only bodies of guards that had been killed. This was becoming a familiar scene._

_It was like when they first escaped the Glade. They escaped to that room, talked with the scientists, learned what was going on, and then chaos. Rebels came in and killed everyone, ushering them to leave. But who was going to die this time? Last time it was Chuck, at the hands of Gally. And this time?_

_Thomas glanced from Newt, to Minho, to Brenda. He didn't want anymore people to die. Hadn't he told that to David after saving Brenda? He meant it. He would die before he allowed any more of his friends to be killed. To fall victims to the sick games this organization was playing._

_They rounded a corner and that was when they heard the voices. It had them stopping. Only the red light from the alarm lighting up the hallway. They could make out the people standing over the guards, guns trained on them._

_"And to think some fucked up organization like this has been operating in the desert without anyone's knowledge. This is sick." One of the guys spat at the guard. "You lot will be lucky if you even get out on bail within the next twenty years."_

_Thomas was as frozen as the others, just watching the scene. Were the guards really being locked up in handcuffs. One of the men towering above the guards seemed to notice them and shined a flashlight their way. It caused them to raise their weapons. Thomas could feel his heart pounding, wanting to actually leave his chest._

_"Lower your weapons and place them on the ground." The voice was calm._

_"Like hell we are. You shanks lower your weapons." Minho's words seemed to bounce off the walls._

_"We have company..." Brenda's words were cut off by the sound of static of a weapon hitting nearby. But that didn't compare to the sudden feeling of something hitting him in the back. The crackle of lightning hit his ears just seconds before he felt the bolts racing through his body. He barely registered the pain of his body hitting the floor, body convulsing. He couldn't move, couldn't blink. He was left to suffer as it felt like his skin was melting. He couldn't even scream._

_He could slowly hear the noises around him. Yells, screams. And, for a couple seconds, he wanted to cry. The thought of WICKED winning, of keeping them as subjects, racing through his mind._

_Gradually, he came to realize the hallway had quieted down. His body beginning to feel like his own, even if he could barely feel a thing. He blinked his eyes, whimpering in pain as he tried to move to see what had happened._

_"Don't move, son." An older man's voice startled him. The guy held a worried look on his face._

_"You back with us, shank? I mean, I know you were always jealous of me, but you didn't have to go and get yourself struck by lightning to match my experience." Minho's joking words caused him to let out another gurgled whimper. He meant to laugh but everything hurt._

_"Medics are on their way, sir." Someone approached fast._

_"How long until the electricity dies down?" The guy that had first spoken to him asked someone._

_"I'm not sure. We never stuck around long enough to see how long." Brenda's voice was calm._

_"It will have to end at some point." The man ran his fingers through his hair and Thomas watched him gain his attention once more. "I'm Captain Hanson. You guys are going to be alright." His attention turned off to the side and Thomas followed his look. Newt was propped up against the wall, looking tired. He had a far away look on his face, blood matting his hair, but he was breathing. Minho had remnants of blood on his face, like he had been hit in the nose and it had bleed. Brenda was next to Newt, looking tired but alright. "How many more are there? We've already removed a group of kids."_

_Removed? Were they being rescued? Thomas felt a slight hope rise within his chest. However, it was overpowered by the worry that this was all another trap. He allowed the darkness to take him in as the voices around him faded away._


	3. So Sure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas comes to realize the reality of the situation around him, not just the fact he's out of WICKED's clutches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, guys. I just don't know.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_  
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._  
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._  
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Thomas wasn't even sure how long he had been in the room. He had continued to pull the wires from his wrists, the nurses growing frustrated with him. It hadn't mattered much that they continued to tell him how important it was for him to keep them in. How it was for his own good. He had heard that enough to not believe it.

"You're creating a buggin' mess of things, Tommy." Newt's voice drew his attention. He was the first visitor, outside of the nurses and police officers. He had been quite confused.

"Newt.." His voice cracked. He noticed the Asian right next to the blond. "Minho..." The two wandered in.

"Hey, shuckface. You look like you saw a ghost." Minho joked as they wandered into the room.

"I was having flashbacks to phase three." Thomas relaxed, fidgeting with the tube that was still connected to his wrist.

"Well, we're out of there. Good riddance." Newt huffed and wandered to the window. Thomas had yet to open it, not that he was allowed to leave the bed. And none of the nurses had ever opened it. He figured it was for the best. He had no problem relying on artificial lights, at least they shut off at night for him to sleep. "Have you seen it?" The blond motioned towards the window.

"No." Newt simply glanced at Minho before the two tugged the curtains away. It was the first glance Thomas got of the real world. Of the bright sun, blue sky with white puffy clouds. The green trees in the distance and buildings. Nothing was falling apart, not that he could see. And then he could hear it, after Minho opened the window. He could hear the birds, cars, life.

Thomas could feel himself crying. "Hey, Tommy. I cried, too. This is reality. Everything WICKED did, it was all false. They've been trying to get us to talk, those officers. We've seen the news, television. Bloody hell, Tommy! You should _see_ how amazing half the things in this world are. Buggin' blew my mind." Newt's voice settled Thomas a little.

"What about the Flare? You're not immune." Newt frowned and took Thomas' hand.

"It was all psychological. The Flare. The swipe, it was altering my emotions, tricking my body. With WICKED down, I began to feel better. I mean... I still have my anger problems, but I'm coping." Thomas was glad.

"You've had a lot of people wanting to visit you, Thomas. Teresa, Sonya, Harriet, Aris, Fry, heck even Gally." That made Thomas frown.

"Gally? He's not dead?" Minho snorted.

"Well, the shank is alive and well. So are some of the others." Thomas wondered what Minho meant, but didn't get a chance to answer.

"What are you two doing in here? Why aren't you in your rooms?" A nurse had entered and looked quite frustrated. Thomas wanted to laugh. Like some hospital could keep them all from breaking the rules. He could see her eyes going from the trio to the open window.

"You shanks treat us like glass. We're a lot tougher than you think." Minho crossed his arms.

"Sure you are. Now let's go. There's a gathering to be had. Your little friend will be there, don't worry." The nurse escorted Newt and Minho out before returning to help him. She checked over his vitals before okaying him to move, hooking the wire to a pole.

"What is this, anyway?" He was curious.

"It's pain medicine to help you not feel the burns on your back." It was then that Thomas remembered getting hit there. He wondered how bad it was. "You should be able to be taken off them by tomorrow, as long as Dr. Geistler okays it." Thomas felt himself nodding as he was brought to a large room.

"Thomas!" "Tom!" He heard the voices greet him. The Gladers and Group B were all gathered in chairs, most in hospital clothing. A few still had the clothes that they had been given by WICKED. His eyes scanned the group. Teresa was with Aris, Sonya, and Harriet. Newt and Minho were on the other side of the room with Fry and Brenda. They had clearly been saving him a seat between Newt and Minho, one the Asian waved him over to.

Just as he was settling down, a couple men walked in. It was clear everyone became tense. The men were in uniform, their stances professional. Thomas worried that they were going to tell them bad news. That everything was going to change once more. However, the guy at the front simply cleared his throat. Not that he needed to, he already had everyone's attention. It just seemed he was slightly uncomfortable.

"It's been hard to actually get the facts from any of you. You need to trust that we're good. We have no intention of keeping you here. In fact, we've been searching through the missing person's database to locate your homes." The man's eyes looked across all of them. "It's hard to believe that so many children could go missing and not a word reported by a single member of that organization." All the teens were quiet.

"Apparently you shanks aren't good at your bloody jobs if a lot of children went missing and you thought nothing of it." Newt snapped, crossing his arms. He dared the man to speak up against that. Thomas was reminded that Newt still suffered from the Flare. Or what was the onset of the disease had it been real.

"What's your name?" The chuckle from Newt's lips was cold.

"Isaac Newton, but you can call me Newt like everyone else. Or Subject A5." Thomas knew what Newt was doing.

"Your real name."

"Wouldn't we all like to know what my real name is, including me. You think you have a right to come in here and spout out klunk like we don't know. We're bugging brilliant. We've gone through so much, lost people we loved, and you're going to sit and wonder why no one was a spy?" Newt looked personally offended. Thomas tugged the blond's hand to keep him from jumping from his seat. The teen seemed to realize what was happening and settled back down.

"We were guinea pigs. You haven't a clue what we went through. You're treating us no better than WICKED. You expect us to cooperate? Then you need to prove you're not them. You sticks need to prove you're _better_ than them. Otherwise, you have our promise that you'll understand just how dangerous we are and how quickly we can disappear." Harriet spoke up. Everyone was nodding, muttering their agreement.

"We don't trust you. Any of you." Minho cut off the man before he began to speak. "You may have rescued us, but we've had that happen before. Thought we were being rescued only to end up in another trial by WICKED. What makes you think we'll believe this is any different? What makes you think we'll believe this isn't just another trap?" There were more words of agreement amongst the teens.

"You have to trust us." The man looked startled, completely out of his element.

"What do you know?" Thomas felt himself asking.

"What?" Everyone had gone quiet, looking from Thomas to the man who had been doing all the talking.

"What do you know about what happened? To all of us?" The man frowned, knowing he had the attention of everyone.

"You were all kidnapped, forced into a sick game by an organization called WICKED. Many test subjects were killed and you're the main group that lived. I-"

"We're not test subjects!" Minho yelled. "Why does everyone insist on calling us that?" There were murmurs of agreement. They were all tired of it.

"Continue." Newt spoke up, calmer this time.

"I honestly don't know much. My job has been to simply watch your progress here and ensure that you do not escape. We've been running your prints, trying to find out who you are. We've located some of your families." Whispering broke out throughout the group. "Those that we have located are on their way. The rest, we're still looking." With that, the guy left. Talk burst out as everyone began to talk. Many wondered who would be learning who they were. Others weren't sure they wanted to know.

What was clear to Thomas though was that the removal of the swipe didn't bring back memories. So what _did_ happen when the others went through the swipe removal process?


	4. Bittersweet Hellos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas has a visitor and it changes everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put in the tags there would be more ships. There will be more added, of course.
> 
> And if you didn't notice, the title and lyrics at the beginning come from "When the Darkness Comes (Part 2)" by Shelby Merry. You should check out her TMR songs if you haven't already.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_  
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._  
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._  
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Thomas was sprawled out on the bed, wincing every now and then. His back hurt like there was no tomorrow. Minho had whistled at the reminder of his ordeal with the launchers. His entire back was a mess, skin partially peeled off or was charred black. Minho had remarked that it wasn't as cool as his scars from being struck by lightning, but was still better than the scar left by Blondie and his gun.

That had made Thomas forget about his back in a heart beat.

"Thomas, you have a visitor." The nurse was at his door, trying to glare Newt and Minho out of the room. However, before they could, an older gentleman wandered in. The teens just watched him as he eyed Thomas, he looked close to tears.

"They said you wouldn't remember me." The man seemed uncertain if he should take a couple steps more into the room or not. "I'm your dad." Thomas wanted to deny that. Wanted to exclaim that he remembered what happened to his dad, that the Flare claimed him and then took away his mother.

But then he remembered. He remembered that none of it was real. All of it was just some fucked up game that WICKED wanted to put them through. None of it was real. Nothing.

"You're my dad..." Thomas repeated, glancing from the man to his friends. Newt smiled encouragingly while Minho gave him the thumbs up.

"We'll get out of here so you two can have a nice little reunion." Newt tugged Minho out of the room. It was then that the guy came to sit in one of the now unoccupied seats.

"God, look at you. You're a lot older than when I last saw you." The man rubbed his face, Thomas noticing he was crying. "Claudia would have killed me and torn apart this country looking for you had she been alive when they took you." Thomas wanted to know how long he had been missing. How long had WICKED been playing with his head.

"What happened?" Thomas clutched the light blanket on the bed. He was dying to hear this story. "I want to know who I am." The man nodded.

"I'm your dad, my name is John. Your name is Miroslaw Stilinski, but we just called you Miro for short. Only your mom, Claudia, she named you and your brother to match. His name... I can't pronounce it, but I'll write it for you later. We just call him Stiles. Your mother suffered from a rare brain disease that ended up killing her when you were ten. You disappeared at her funeral. There were just so many people coming and going, and you had gone to hang out with Scott and Stiles but never made it there." So that was it? He had been plucked out from a funeral? And why him? Why not Stiles? Or Scott? Or some other kid that could have been at the funeral?

It made him angry. It made him resent this Stiles. This Scott. But that only lasted a couple seconds. He couldn't wish his fate on anyone. Alright, maybe Gally. Gally deserved it for what he did to Chuck. But that was about it.

"Thomas." He noticed the confused look on John's face. "They call me Thomas." He rubbed the back of his neck, fingers tracing the tattoo there. "I don't think I can be the person you expect me to be, sir. Not after... Not after everything I went through." The man's smile was sad, but understanding.

"I don't expect you to be the same boy that went missing. When they called me and said they found you, I was so excited. I don't know if Stiles even remembers he has a brother. He stopped asking years ago about where you went." Thomas could understand. Everything in life could be overwhelming. It was only when things calmed down did he really have a chance to think about Chuck, Alby, and all the others that had been lost. It wasn't the same, but it was the only thing he could relate this to.

"I'm sure he remembers, sir. Whether you know it or not." Thomas gazed at his lap, unsure of what this now meant. Would he be going home with him? To some unknown place away from his friends? That thought didn't sit well with him.

Just as the man was going to speak, his phone began to ring. "Sorry. I have to take this." He got up and answered the call. "This is Sheriff Stilinski." Thomas watched him disappear through the door.

So that was his dad? Thomas leaned back, unsure of what he should think. He had a dad, he had a brother, but his mother was still dead. He wanted to be sad, and some part of him was, but he had long since been prepared for this. The false memories had made him believe both parents were dead. So for one to be alive, it was better than he thought.

"That your dad?" Teresa was in the doorway. She looked uncomfortable for a moment and Thomas honestly wanted her to just leave.

"It was." He hoped that his short answer would make her leave faster.

"Look, Tom." Thomas glared.

"Just go, Teresa." The words had her closing her mouth, then opening it, only to close it once more. Thomas just rubbed his temples. "I don't think this pretending to still be friends is helping. Clearly we can't be. Not after everything that happened." The argument and her blind trust of WICKED had been the straw that broke the camel's back. He might have forgiven her for betraying him, but even that had barely started to get repaired when she began to blindly support WICKED once more.

"Tom, I really am sorry." Teresa took a step forward, but stopped. A look of uncertainty crossed her mind, as if trying to decide if she wanted to try to move closer or not.

"I know you are. I just want to be alone right now. Alright?" He watched her silently leave, feeling a tightness in his chest. He honestly wondered what went wrong. How WICKED could mess up his friendship. Perhaps he was being too hard on Teresa? Or perhaps it would be foolish to trust her?

"That was a little harsh, son." John wandered back into the room right after Teresa left it. Thomas just shrugged at the words.

"Not really. You wouldn't understand." Thomas honestly believed it.

"Try me." The Sheriff settled in the chair he had been sitting in prior to his phone call. "How about you tell me your story?"

Thomas was quiet for a minute before he spoke up and began to tell the older male almost everything that happened. There were just some parts the other didn't need to know.


	5. Meaning of Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas now had a home. He had a family. Now when would the other shoe drop?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Added more ships, Most of them will be minor. If they're not your cup of tea, don't skip out. You can pretend they're friends. This fic isn't overly romantic to begin with, so all ships are kinda subtle.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_  
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._  
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._  
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Thomas felt so awkward as he stood outside the house, hands clutching the bottom of the shirt the Sheriff had purchased for him. It was weird having new clothes, mostly since he had only ever gotten new clothes because he was going to need them for the new task. But these were because he had only had hospital clothes prior. And the last pair of clothing from WICKED had been destroyed thanks to the launcher.

He had desperately wanted Newt and Minho to come with him, but they couldn't. Brenda couldn't either, although she was an adult and was free to leave on her own, although she said she was going to wait and find out who she was.

"It's going to be alright, Thomas." John's voice snapped him from his thoughts, drawing his attention back to the house. He just took a deep breath and followed the older male into it.

He was struck with how warm and welcoming the place felt. He always thought that this is what home should feel like. This is what he always wanted. He found himself just looking around, looking at the pictures that told a story. He stopped at one, one that was a younger John with what was most likely Claudia, him and Stiles.

"You were eight then," John's voice startled him. Without another word, Thomas began to wander and look at more pictures. Things seemed to change once he hit pictures where there was no Claudia, there was no him. He wasn't able to put a finger on it. Later on, closer towards the living room, he found a picture of the Sheriff, Stiles, a woman and boy that Thomas wasn't sure about. "That's Melissa, your step mother, and her son Scott, your step-brother."

That made his head hurt. This was all just a little too much to take in. Never before had he missed how simple the Glade had been. Although it was new and confusing at first, it was a lot more simple than trying to adapt to reality. To a life you had been pulled out of and shoved back into years later.

"Melissa labeled all the doors, so you don't have to worry about a thing. You can explore, I'll be down here if you need me." Thomas nodded and explored. Everything felt different. His mind was telling him that he's lived life like this before. Those false memories had him living in a house, it was small, but it wasn't all that different. He felt himself just gazing at every appliance, the books, movies, pictures, and knick-knacks. He gazed at the labels for the rooms upstairs. The room labeled Scott, the one labeled Stiles, the one that said John and Melissa, the one labeled bathroom, linen closet, and the one with his name on it. He figured it would say Miro, or Miroslaw, as that's what he was told his name was. However, there was relief in seeing 'Thomas' written on the piece of paper.

He opened the door, unsure of what he would find. There was a rather large bed, one that Thomas was sure was bigger than every bed he had slept on prior. As he sat down on it, he let out a small groan. It was ten times more comfortable than all of his beds prior, especially his hammock. He had a dresser and a closet, not that he actually had clothes to put in them. There was a desk with a chair pushed in and a nightstand. All in all, the room was rather simple and Thomas liked it.

It was his.

Thomas realized he must have fallen asleep when the sound of voices hit his ears. They were loud, laughter following the words. He was quick to sit up and rub his eyes. For a couple seconds, he forgot where he was. However, it returned to him. He was with his real family. He was far from WICKED, far from the hospital, far from everyone familiar to him. That last bit hurt the most.

"Come on, Stiles, you act like Parrish is going to just spontaneously combust. Just because we can't figure out what he is doesn't mean he's _that_ dangerous." A voice spoke up. If he was talking to Stiles, Thomas wondered if it was Scott.

"Scotty, not knowing the full extent of someone is dangerous. I don't think we need a reminder of the darach." Thomas just gazed at the open doorway, the voices getting closer.

"I know, just-" The voice stopped.

"What? Just what?" Stiles' voice seemed impatient, but then Thomas heard the sound of rushing feet. Then a teen about his age was in the doorway. It made him feel awkward as he took the other in. He was tall, taller than himself. He had wide eyes, slightly crooked jaw, and a little tense. This was Scott, Thomas' mind supplied. He had seen his picture downstairs. "What is it?" Thomas wasn't sure what he expected when he saw Stiles, but it wasn't to see someone nearly identical to himself. While his hair had always been weighed down by sweat, dirt, and grime, Stiles had his hair gelled up. His style of clothing was rather odd, but full of colors. Shock was written across his face.

Silence was all that happened for a couple minutes as the three teens looked at each other. Thomas never felt so vulnerable before. This was even leagues worse than the encounter with Mr. Nose and the other cranks. At least then he had a way to escape. All he had was the window. And the thought of escape, of having that ability was causing him to shift slowly further into the room and away from the pair.

"Miro?" Stiles' voice cracked, the silence getting shattered but the tense atmosphere still remained.

"That's what I was told my name is." Thomas replied. There was another couple minutes of silence before Stiles left. The sound of a door slamming shut made him wince.

"Welcome back." Scott seemed to relax a little, but Thomas didn't. Not until the other had left and disappeared into one of the other rooms. Once they were gone, Thomas rushed from the room and down the stairs. He ran right into the Sheriff, who stopped him from just running out the front door.

"What's wrong, son?" The address made him pull back as if shocked. He couldn't do this. He couldn't live this life. He just wasn't meant for it. All that time living in the Glade, running through the Scorch, battling Cranks and Grievers, it never prepared him for reality. And what would have happened when they found Paradise? Would it have been another Scorch? Or perhaps just another Glade?

But either would have been better than this. It would have been easier to deal with. "I-I can't do this." He breathed out and broke free from the Sheriff's grasp and wandered out the front door.

The rush of fresh air had him feeling better and he took a seat on the bench on the porch. He tugged his knees up to his chest. There was no extreme heat to worry about. The temperature reminded him of the Glade. As did the sky. However, there were no familiar sounds of the Glade. No familiar voices of the other Gladers. Nothing of the life from before.

He was running his fingers through his hair when a voice startled him. "Stiles? What's wrong?" Thomas looked up to see Melissa. She looked just like she did in the pictures. She was the perfect vision of what he thought moms were like, what his was like. And he felt bad for being the reason she wore such a worried expression.

"I'm Thomas," he replied, no heat in his words.

"Let me guess, this whole new life is overwhelming?" The teen nodded, feeling the bench seat shift a little as she took a seat next to him and settled her bag on the porch. She tugged her legs up to sit cross-legged. "It'll get easier. You don't have to forget the life you've been living, or pretend to be the person you were before you became Thomas. You just have to be yourself. Eventually, things won't be so hard to take in." Thomas gazed at his hands.

"How do you know that?"

"I've raised my own son by myself and helped raise Stiles. Things seemed hopeless at times, overwhelming. But you'll learn that this is just another challenge in life and the reward at the end is worth the struggles." Melissa smiled at him. "I was always doubting myself when I couldn't make ends meet while raising Scott, when I couldn't spend the amount of time with him that I wish I could have. I doubted myself a lot. Doubted what I was doing. But now, now I can see that keeping him, continuing to strive to be able to support us, it was worth it in the end. I don't ever regret my choices. All of it made me a stronger person, a better person. And I'm sure what you went through, Thomas, has made you stronger and better, too." Thomas was quiet, knowing Melissa was letting him think on her words.

"They gave me false memories of my childhood. But that mom... you're just like her." And it was comforting.

"What happened to her?" Thomas shook his head.

"She was sick with an incurable disease called the Flare. I'm immune and WICKED promised I would be safe with them, help them find a cure. She sent me with them so I wouldn't have to watch her lose her humanity." Thomas gazed at his lap.

"That's a mother's love. Whether they were fake memories or not, that is what a mother would do for her child." Melissa lifted his chin so he looked at her. "I promise, Thomas, you're safe here. No one will hurt you. I'll protect you and John will, too. Stiles and Scott, they're your brothers and would die for you. Things might be uncomfortable at first because we're all so unfamiliar to you, but give us time. Give us time and we'll feel like family just like your friends did."

Thomas licked his lips, unsure when he began to cry. However, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the woman. She hugged him back, rubbing his back and whispering gentle words into his ears.

He had a home. He had a family. Now when would the other shoe drop?


	6. Remnants of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas tries to move forward, but can't let go of the past. Although a brief glimpse of... something... won't allow that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter down.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_  
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._  
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._  
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

He was slowly going crazy. He actually hadn't left the house since he arrived. There were times when the Sheriff or Melissa tried to drag him to the store with them, but they never pressed him hard.

It also didn't help that they both treated him delicately. Stiles and Scott were awkward around him, especially since Stiles kept making comments about their childhood before remembering Thomas remembered none of it. The way they were acting was driving him up a wall.

He tried his best to be quiet as he left his room and wandered downstairs. He could hear Stiles, Scott, and an unfamiliar voice in the living room. The television was on, but they were arguing and it didn't sound like it had anything to do with that. None of them seemed to notice him, or perhaps they didn't care.

"Where are you going?" He had almost made it when the voice of the Sheriff stopped him, hand on the door.

"I was going to go for a run." The look the Sheriff gave him was one he was used to. The older male was judging him, trying to gauge his words.

"Without water? And in boots? Wouldn't you be more comfortable in sneakers?" Thomas just glanced at his outfit. He was a little confused about that.

"I don't have a pack to keep supplies in." He would have given anything to have kept his pack from the Glade. That had been amazing at carrying supplies. It would have helped a lot in the Scorch, too.

"A pack? A backpack?" The Sheriff motioned for him to follow him. This time, the voices in the living room were quiet, the sound of the tv filling the silence. Thomas actually noticed him and the Sheriff passing by. He actually caught sight of the brunette who was settled next to Scott. There were papers thrown about the living room.

He turned his attention back to the Sheriff, who brought him to his room with Melissa. There were several bags there, but the first thing the Sheriff handed him was a book bag.

"What's this?" Thomas was confused, and the elder Stilinski must have noticed it.

"We were hoping to convince you to actually leave the house and possibly attend school. We picked you up some clothes, a school bag, and supplies." He motioned towards the bags.

Thomas' fingers clutched the bag in his arms. The thought of bags of clothes meant the possibility of this being permanent. The ability to have more than one set of clothes, although he had been given a couple hand-me-downs from Stiles, was a little overwhelming and surreal. It also meant that they wanted him to stay, intended to keep him.

"I don't... I don't really remember much about school." Thomas gazed at the ground, shrugging. He knew it was a place to learn, but that was it. No memories attached to the word, no emotions. It was just a word to him.

"Stiles and Scott would be there with you. It would be good for you, Thomas." Good for him to get back into society were the unspoken words. He wasn't stupid and knew that the Sheriff wanted to add those on, but didn't.

"Okay." He swallowed before nodding. "Okay." He would do it, go to this school.

"Good. Let's bring this stuff into your room." They brought the bags into his room. Thomas actually dumped the items in the backpack out on his bed. There were pens, pencils, a couple folders, and notebooks. It was a little big, but it would work.

"Thank you." Thomas felt awkward saying the words, mostly since he wondered if the other expected him to call him dad. That title just wouldn't come to his lips right now, not even if he tried.

"You're welcome, son." Thomas slipped out of the room, knowing the Sheriff was right behind him.

"Do we have a bottle to put water in?" Thomas gazed around the kitchen. He had a hard time figuring out any sense of order to where things were.

"Here." The Sheriff rummaged in the cabinets before handing him one. Thomas wandered to the sink and filled it. "You should take Stiles or Scott with you." Thomas stuffed the bottle into the bag.

"I'll be fine." Thomas grabbed a couple chewy bars and tossed them into his bag before zipping it up.

"What if you get lost?" Thomas raised an eyebrow.

"I won't get lost. Some small town isn't going to confuse me." He managed to survive running in a maze and not get lost. He trusted his ability to remember his route.

"I'd still feel better if you took one of your brothers with you." Thomas frowned.

"I'm sure Stiles would love to go for a run with you, Thomas." Scott's voice startled him, although he could hear Stiles objecting to being volunteered to go running.

"He wouldn't be able to keep up." Thomas eyed Scott before shaking his head. "I'll be fine. There's nothing dangerous about this town, nothing I can't handle."

Thomas took off after that. The air of the outdoors being a welcomed greeting. He could run and not feel like he was suffocating. His back wanted to protest a little, but he could ignore it. He really needed this. It was a good way to clear his head.

He wondered what Newt, Minho, and the others were up to. Were they with their families? Were they all alright? Would he ever get to see them again?

He slowed to a stop to catch his breath and take a drink of water. He wasn't sure how long he had been running for, but he knew it had been a little bit.

Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Thomas couldn't help but give in to his curiosity and wandered over to where he swore he saw something. He barely caught a glimpse of the letters WCKD before a voice startled him.

"What are you doing, Stiles? And what is up with that ridiculous outfit?" His attention was drawn to two girls about his age. Both were pretty, also intimidating. They would have fit well with Sonya, Harriet, and the rest of Group B. "Hello? Earth to Stiles." Thomas shook his head.

"I'm not Stiles." He clutched the straps of his bag. "I'm Thomas." The girl who had been talking, strawberry blond hair was the only way to identify her as, was eyeing him like he was crazy.

"He's telling the truth," the other girl muttered.

"Thomas, right."

"If you want Stiles, he's probably at home with Scott and the other girl." Thomas glanced back at the spot he had been glancing at before but didn't see anything. Perhaps he had been imagining things.

"You alright, Thomas?" The girl who said he wasn't lying about who he was spoke up. "I'm Malia and that's Lydia." Thomas nodded, accepting their names.

"I thought I saw something." He replied before shaking his head. "I'm probably losing it." He noticed that Lydia was typing away on her phone but ignored it.

"What did you see?" Thomas wondered if Malia was humoring him.

"It's nothing. You wouldn't understand." Thomas decided to set back out on his run. "Anyway, it was nice to meet you." He took back off running, not caring to look back at either of the girls.

He returned home a little while later, the Sheriff greeting him with a stern look. "Where have you been?" He looked like he was on his way out but was a little too worried to leave.

"I was running." Thomas wandered into the kitchen. He hadn't run like that since the Glade. It felt refreshing. Sure, his back was screaming at him, but his body felt relaxed. It ached a little, but in the good way. In a way that made him feel a little more normal, that life was normal. It was a reminder of his days in the Glade.

Thomas put back the couple chewy bars he didn't finish and downed the remaining little bit of water.

"You should have taken Scott or Stiles with you, Thomas. They could have helped you when you got lost." Thomas frowned.

"I didn't get lost. I just ran. I used to run from sun up until sun down, that run I just did was nothing." Thomas didn't understand the big deal.

"I would feel better if you would go with one of your brothers." The title for Scott and Stiles was still weird, still something he had to get used to. He was about to open his mouth to speak when the Sheriff's phone began to ring.

"Fine." Thomas muttered before taking off to his room. He noticed that Lydia and Malia were sitting in the living room with Scott, Stiles, and the girl from earlier. They all seemed to glance his way as he passed by, Scott smiling and trying to wave him over. He ignored it and headed towards the stairs, but he could hear them talking.

"He looks like Stiles, but they act completely different." Lydia's voice was loud and clear.

"He smells sad and lonely." Malia's voice spoke up, her words startling him. It caused him to stop.

"He doesn't remember anyone from his life before he got kidnapped. All his friends are elsewhere. You can't blame him." Scott defended him.

"You would think he would at least _try_ to be friendly or something. I mean, he's only my twin and he looks like a deer caught in the headlight whenever we have to sit at the same table for a meal." Thomas ducked his head before rushing up the stairs.

Life had been simpler before. Sure, it had been dangerous. Heck he faced death and destruction head on. Survive. It had been all that mattered. And now? Now he had to figure out what he was supposed to do.

And before he had his friends. Now he felt alone.


	7. Warning Signs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new life Thomas was living comes crashing down around him. And WICKED catches up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beetle Blades, Cranks, and Grievers. Oh my! A double post because I'll be busy with school this weekend so won't be able to post daily.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

It was too hot. Those were the first thoughts that crossed his mind as he kicked the sheets off his bed. Too hot. Like the heat of the scorch right after sunset, right before the chill of night ripped through your bones.

There were no sounds of the outside world that he had become accustomed to. There were no cars out there, no bugs. And that had him glancing around the room.

His bedroom looked normal, although hot. He pushed up and off his bed, figuring a glass of water was needed. There were no sounds as he left his room. The world was quiet as he went to the kitchen and got a glass of water.

Thomas wasn't sure why he felt so on edge. Because this felt too normal? Because things felt too quiet? He had just finished his cup when he heard the noise.

The sound had him stopping and turning his head. He could see the red light flashing, the sound of its wings buzzing as it moved. The sight of the beetle blade caused him to drop the glass. He almost swore he could hear the metalic clicking of the legs of a griever.

"No..." Thomas muttered, barely wincing as he stepped on glass to move across the kitchen. "This is all just another trial." He knew it was too good to be true. He swore the mechanic bug was looking right at him, watching him. "Leave me alone!" Anger filled Thomas as he rushed forward and grabbed a carving knife. He didn't even notice when lights began to turn on, when voices began to call out his name. All that mattered was destroying the beetle blade.

But even stabing it with the knife wasn't satisfying. It left him standing there, tears in his eyes.

"Thomas? Oh my god, Thomas." Melissa was pulling him away from the mess that was the kitchen. Thomas noticed the Sheriff, Scott, and Stiles just standing there. He glanced back at the beetle blade.

He wasn't prepared for things to change again.

"What happened, Son?" The Sheriff was cleaning up the glass while Melissa looked at his feet. Thomas just pointed quietly at the knife.

"What the hell is this?" Stiles tugged the knife out of the wall and stared at the thing at the end.

"A beetle blade," Thomas replied.

"A beetle what?" Stiles actually put the knife back, ignoring the glare from Scott over damaging the wall worse.

"Beetle blade. It's a mechanical bug that WICKED used to observe us in the Glade. It records what it sees and presumably sends it back to WICKED." Thomas took a deep breath. "But you guys probably already knew that, huh? This was a fun little act, but I've had enough trials. So where is Janson? Is he going to come and explain what the point of this trial is?" Thomas wasn't sure he liked the way that everyone looked at him.

"This isn't a trial and we're not with WICKED." The Sheriff began to explain slowly.

"That's a load of klunk!" Thomas got to his feet, ignoring Melissa's protests. He was about to say more when there was a banging at the door.

"It's Isaac." Scott rushed to the front door.

"There's this creature roaming in the woods, Scott. They... They got Derek and he's not doing good." Thomas rushed to the hall where Scott was talking to a tall blond.

"These creatures. What did they look like?" The blond eyed him.

"Like a ball of jello with metal legs. They were fast, took us by surprise."

"Great, we have grievers." Thomas ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay. We neede to think quickly. If your friend was stung, then they're going to die unless we can come up with the Grief Serum." Thomas ran his fingers through his hair. "You need to take me to him." Everyone was looking at him, all different expressions on their faces.

"Who is he? Why does he look like Stiles? And what the hell is a Griever?" Isaac was confused and that was clear to Thomas.

"I'm Thomas and I'm Stiles' twin brother and a Griever is a creature created by WICKED and it's sting is deadly."

"Can we save more questions until later? We really need to get to Sourwolf." Stiles spoke up as Isaac opened his mouth once more.

Thomas was nervous as he sat in the back of the jeep. Isaac kept eyeing him the entire ride. The Sheriff and Melissa were behind them in the cruiser. He wondered how things could be going wrong so fast. Oh right, this is because his life never had been allowed to be easy. At least, not since WICKED got a hold of him.

Thomas frowned when he was finally brought to Derek. There were the classic signs of the start of the sting taking effect. He could still remember the way it effected Alby. And he also remembered, first hand, what the guy was going through.

"So this Grief Serum, what is it? How do we find it?" Thomas was quiet at the question.

"The creators had sent it up to us. They gave us a batch long before I even arrived." And, even if he had his memories, they wouldn't be of use. He had helped to design the maze, not the grievers or their serum.

"Someone is here." Isaac frowned as his eyes went to the loft doors. Everything was quiet before a knocking could be heard.

"I know you're in there, Tom. It's best to open up." The voice was familiar and he wasn't sure he would hear it again.

"Teresa." He rushed to his feet and tugged open the door. The female stood on the other side, syringe in hand.

"I think you want this." She held it out to him, but Thomas wasn't sure he wanted to take it.

"How did you know about the Griever? How did you get here? _Why_ are you here?" Thomas narrowed his eyes. There was something different about Teresa, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

"Do you want to save their friend or not, Tom." Thomas took the syringe and walked back to Derek, stabbing it into the elder male and flushed his system with the Grief Serum. Derek seemed to calm down a little.

"Now talk." He looked back up at the other glader.

"I came to fetch you, of course. Our work isn't done, Tom. You may not remember because you didn't get your swipe removed, but we're waiting on you." Thomas shook his head.

"It's over, Teresa. WICKED is gone."

"How many do you think accept it, Tom? You? Minho? It's just you two. We have Newt." The words, Thomas knew, were a threat. It was a statement, a cold one.

"What do you mean that you have Newt?" Thomas rushed back towards Teresa. "What did you do with him?"

"Oh, Tom. You're acting like we're going to hurt him. You'll remember one day, Tom. Why WICKED is good." Teresa started to leave.

"Was this all you?" Thomas motioned around him.

"They're your family, Tom. The beetle blade? Yes. The Griever, possibly. But your family? That wasn't us. WICKED is good, Tom. You'll understand with time." And with that, the girl was gone. She left Thomas with more questions than answers.


	8. Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas explains about WICKED and he forms new allies. An old friend returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this will be the last update until... Maybe Sunday night or Monday night. I'd rather be off seeing Scorch Trials, but noooo. I'm stuck in school all weekend and a full work/school schedule until next Friday. At least I'll get to write/update this during the madness.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Thomas dug his fingers at the back of his neck. He tended to keep the tattoo hidden. If any member of his family noticed it, they said nothing. But it currently burned. It burned worse than it had during the scorch. At being the prisoner of Group B. But it wasn't because of his tattoo. No. Because of Teresa's. _The Betrayer._

"Thomas?" Melissa's voice was gentle in his ears.

"Derek will be fine. I'm not sure how the serum will effect him, but he'll live."

"What. the hell. was. that." Stiles flailed, arms pointing at the now closed loft door. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Our worlds are colliding." Thomas wrapped his arms around himself. "WICKED is coming and they are _not_ good." Thomas knew that to the core. He wanted to know how he could blindly work for them. Was it because they had messed with his head? Or had he really been a naive child to believe in their ideology?

"What's the swipe?" Scott's voice wasn't accusing in the least. It sounded curious.

"It's a chip in my brain. WICKED uses it to control us. I know the Flare was all thanks to that chip. My lack of memories? It's also due to the swipe." He could see Scott nod, understanding.

"And that girl that was just here?" Isaac sounded more annoyed than anything.

"Teresa. She's like me." He paused at his wording. "We worked together to help build the maze around the Glade, and then go through all the trials alongside the other gladers." Everyone was quiet.

"So what happens now? Are we supposed to be on the lookout for this creature in the woods? Some girl who seems psychotic? Or some evil organization lurking in the shadows?" Isaac spoke up. Thomas swore that this guy and Minho would get along.

"Minho! She said he didn't join them. If we can locate him, we'd have another ally on our side." Thomas ran his fingers through his hair. "But the Griever needs to get killed. If they just send Grievers, we can handle them. If they release cranks..." Thomas voice trailed off. "That will cause more of a panic."

"What's a crank?" The question brought up memories Thomas would prefer to forget about.

"Rose took my nose, I suppose." The teen muttered to himself. Brenda would probably laugh with him at the ordeal with Mr. Nose. It was funny now, not so much then. "You remember that zombie movie you tried to get me to watch but we stopped about ten minutes into the zombies actually being there?" And the fact he also kept having nightmares the entire night and woke the house up screaming.

"Don't tell me cranks are zombies." Stiles made a face.

"Pretty much." Thomas shrugged when his brother groaned.

"So how do we find this Minho?" Scott asked, which was a good question.

"That I'm not sure about. We have to wait for him to come to us. He has John's phone number and our address." As if on cue, the Sheriff's phone went off.

While Thomas could only hear the Sheriff's side of the conversation, it was still enough for him to hear what was going on. "No, he's not a felon, Parrish. You remember where Derek Hale's loft is, right? I need you to bring him here, right now." He hung up after a couple seconds more. "Looks like your friend turned up at our house and tried to break in."

Everyone settled into silence after that, Isaac and Melissa watching over Derek, who was getting better a lot faster than anyone Thomas had seen. The Sheriff looked like he was trying to get rid of a headache while Scott and Stiles talked in hush tones with each other. Scott was also on his phone, the clicking sound replacing their voices every once in a while.

The knock at the door startled everyone, but Scott got it. Thomas was relieved to see that it wasn't Teresa this time or one of the others. It was Lydia, Malia, the girl from earlier, a new girl, and a new boy. The new boy seemed to glance from Stiles to Thomas and back.

"This is Thomas. Thomas, you already know Lydia and Malia. Uh, this is Allison. Sorry we didn't introduce you to her earlier. That's Kira and this is Liam." Thomas offered a short wave.

"Is Derek alright?" Lydia wandered into the room.

"He smells a bit sick." Malia scrunched up her nose.

"Well, he's getting better." Scott shrugged, just about to shut the door when he left it open. A deputy appeared with Minho.

"I can walk by myself, shank." Minho spat, but blinked when he noticed the people watching him.

"Hey, shuck face." Thomas called out, actually relieved to see his friend.

"Thomas, you look like klunk." Minho actually rushed over to his friend, wrapping him in a brief hug.

"Like you look better."

"I look amazing. Ran all the way here from that stupid hospital. Things got bad real fast." Thomas frowned at the words.

"Teresa showed up, said they had Newt." Minho nodded.

"They all lost their minds. The shanks all started acting weird. I was rooming with Aris, yeah? And he just started acting odd. Well, it appeared everyone was acting off. I ran into Gally who said Sonya actually knocked out one of those military guys that were watching us." Thomas shuddered.

"How'd they get Newt?"

"Right so me and Gally, god who thought I would actually say that again after escaping the Glade. Anyway, it was pretty clear that Teresa and Aris were orchestrating it all. We figured we should get Newt and get out of there. Harriet and Fry had Newt. He was struggling but they were stronger. We would have intervened but Fry had a gun." Thomas nodded.

"Alright, we'll deal with that. First, we have a Griever problem." The Asian groaned.

"Again? I was glad to get rid of them when we left the Glade." Thomas nodded.

"The Scorch was too hot for them. Teresa is possibly behind the Griever. Another problem is beetle blades. WICKED is watching our every movement in this town." The Asian sighed.

"Why couldn't I have gotten a good greeting? 'Hey, Minho. It's been a good week or two. How have you been? Life is normal here, no crazy shanks trying to kill me. No evil organization trying to release evil creatures to try and kill me. No new trials.' Just once, Thomas, I want a normal greeting that doesn't revolve around something life changing in a bad way." Thomas couldn't help but want to agree.

"Hey, our introduction wasn't a life changing event in the bad way." Thomas pointed out a second later.

"You came and then Teresa came. The two of you were bad news together because everything hit the fan, shuck face." Minho was right. He arrived in the Glade and then everything changed. And not for the better.

"Alright. If you two are done catching up. There's still that jell-o monster still lurking in the preserve." Isaac's voice snapped them out of their chat.

"Jell-o monster? I like it. Sounds less intimidating than Griever." Minho glanced at the group before crossing his arms. "So this is the team we have to work with? We're going to need some good weapons."


	9. Change of Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Griever isn't the only thing lurking in the shadows of Beacon Hills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sat for a while thinking about this chapter instead of writing it. Not 100% happy with it, but... whatever. We've finally hit the point that I wanted to. Now the fun begins.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

"I know you're probably mad at me regarding Newt, but he's being watched after. It's where Gally is at. Brenda is getting Jorge so we have extra help." Thomas was looking around the woods. They were trying to track the Griever and it wasn't that easy. Especially not when Minho kept talking.

"I'm not that mad at you. I know you're probably more upset over it than I am. I trust that we'll rescue him." They had to. They also had to figure out what WICKED was up to. What _Janson_ was up to. Thomas was sure he was behind all of this.

"You're right. I should have been there, should have rescued him. But Newt is a tough shank, he'll survive." Thomas nodded in agreement. "Now this griever, on the other hand, that can't survive." Thomas chuckled.

They both stopped when they heard a noise. A shudder ran down Thomas' spine, remembering the metallic sound all too well. Both gladers looked at each other. Thomas let out a whistle, knowing the others would hear him. Scott had promised that they would all come running if he did. There was the questioning of how Minho and Thomas would find them, but Scott simply said they would know.

Isaac and Derek were there first, nearly knocking into them. However, both had their eyes trained into the woods. "That's the sound me and Derek heard before we encountered that thing."

"We can try to outright kill it or try to trick it. I got it to go off the cliff in the maze. Died from that." Thomas wasn't even sure this place had a cliff like that.

"There's a cliff on the outskirts of the preserve. It overlooks Beacon Hills but there's a ravine down below. If it fell, it'd hit nothing but rocks." Thomas and Minho glanced at each other.

"That could work. We should split into two teams. Me and Thomas can draw it towards the ravine. We would need a pair to kinda make sure we don't go down with that thing. Then a second team down below to ensure it's dead. The fall could simply daze it." Thomas nodded in agreement with Minho's words.

In his wildest dreams, he hadn't imagined running from grievers again. Then again, back in the glade he had never imagined cranks. Life changed, life evolved, and apparently it wasn't for the better.

"So your new friends are all weird, Thomas." Minho panted out as they ran. "I've been meaning to tell you that." Thomas let out a laugh. It wasn't louder than the sound of the griever rolling after them, but Minho could hear it.

"You're telling me. They're sketchy, worse than WICKED." Which was saying something considering he didn't think anyone could be sketchier than that organization.

"You think they're working together?" Thomas frowned at the words. He wanted to say no. He wanted to say that he believed Teresa when she said that they were his family, that there was no ulterior motive behind the things they did. But there was this feeling deep within, that told him yes.

"Yeah... I kinda do." It hurt to say it out loud, just like it hurt to continuously be betrayed by Teresa. However, Minho never commented on it, never turned it into a big deal.

"So lets get rid of their little griever problem and get answers." Thomas nodded in agreement.

They reached the cliff that they were told about, it actually was a long drop down. Thomas noted that he didn't want to take that kind of trip, not willingly. He hadn't survived this long to get taken out by a griever.

The griever stopped rolling a couple feet in front of them, legs stretching out as it came out of its ball. Thomas swore he could hear Minho take a deep breath, or perhaps he was the one who did it.

"If we get stung, there's not grief serum." Minho meant it as a question, but it came out as a statement.

"Getting stung is not an option." Thomas shuddered as the creature got closer.

"I demand a vacation when this is done and over with." The two took a step back as the creature advanced.

"You and me both," Thomas muttered. Both dodged out of the way as arms went out towards them. They could see Derek and Scott moving forward, as planned, to drive the griever off the cliff. Their entrance actually startled the creature, but it wasn't until Thomas felt a harsh metal arm sail into his stomach that he realized just how much trouble they were in.

"Thomas!" Thomas could hear Minho's voice, but it sounded far away. Actually, everything felt like it was far away, moving in slow motion. The sickening realization that was going over the edge causing more fear that dealing with the blobs from the ceiling that beheaded several gladers before they reached the exit of the WICKED compound and out too the scorch.

"I'm alright." Thomas grabbed the side of the cliff, hanging on to tiny sections that jutted out. He knew that he couldn't support himself forever. And that he would fall if they knocked the griever down where he was. Minho's face appeared over the edge for a brief second, gazing down at him with worry. "Don't worry about me, just kill the griever!"

"Your funeral, shuck face." The sour expression Minho held made a knot form in his stomach. That look made him feel horrible, but there was nothing he could do about it.

It wasn't long before the griever went over the cliff, barely missing him. The impact with the ground below was loud and it felt like it shook the entire cliff, or perhaps it was just his body. But there was shouting below, it was dead. For extra measure, he watched as Kira sliced off its limbs with a sword. That bit had been Stiles' idea, but everyone agreed it would be a good idea.

"Alright, now that I've lost a couple more years off my life, let's get you to solid ground." Minho helped tug Thomas back to safety. Thomas could see that the Asian was tired, as was Derek and Scott. Grievers weren't known for being easy enemies.

"I vote on no more grievers." Thomas leaned against the other, who supported him.

"Another joke? Why, Thomas, I think I'm rubbing off on you." Thomas opened his mouth to remark that Newt would think so, but closed it. Knowing that they were missing the blond left him feeling a little empty, and a little guilty.

"Someone was fast at joining us." Scott frowned. "But I can't catch a scent." Thomas really wanted answers behind those cryptic words.

"That was quite a show, Tom. You and your little friends seem to work pretty well." Thomas wanted to groan.

"What the hell are you doing here, Aris?" Minho jumped to his feet, leaving Thomas to scramble to support himself at the sudden loss.

"Watching, of course. A loss of a griever is no big deal, but a loss of Thomas. I got placed in charge of making sure he survived... Even if it meant killing you off, Minho." The boy leaned against a tree. "But I'm here on business." The way the teen spoke, the way he acted, it wasn't like the Aris they knew. Yes, they noticed some similarities, but a lot of what they had learned while traveling with him in the Scorch was gone. The Aris they were familiar with seemed to have disappeared behind a calm, cold mask.

"I knew you were bad news when you showed up the first time." Thomas wanted to say that Minho was wrong, that they were being controlled. But what if it was him and Minho that were being controlled?

"Well, that's understandable. You haven't had your swipe removed. You're not responsible 100% for all your actions. But Tom will learn. That's why I'm here, to collect him for the next phase." Thomas and Minho went still.

The world seemed to go quiet. It felt like everything had been rushing before, the entire world thrusting them forward without a chance to stop. And now it did, but for all the wrong reasons.

"Ah, yes. The rest of them have arrived." Thomas noticed the others arriving, but stopping. They all seemed to be as wary of Aris as they were. "So Tom, you can pick three to go with you." Aris scanned the group. "Minho excluded." Thomas blinked.

"What?" Aris sighed and shook his head. He smiled, a smile that was both hesitant and filled with sorrow.

"The next phase, Tom. You've never been alone with the exception of phase three. Everyone had to go that alone, but this one is impossible to go alone so you get to pick three of your friends, except Minho, to participate." Thomas looked at those around him.

"You're going to make me drag them into WICKED's game?" Thomas felt sick.

"Yes, Tom. It's to better humanity. All that we have done, all that we are doing, and all that we will do, is in the best interest of humanity. You will understand with this phase, Tom, I promise. You will understand that WICKED is not the enemy. You'll even get to be reunited with Newt, isn't that what you want most?" The mention of the blond had his attention. He would get to see Newt? "But in order to see him, Tom, you have to pick three or I will pick for you and someone will get killed by Sonya."

Thomas turned to look at the others, nervous about his choice. To choose might mean one of them, or all of them, would die. But not choosing would ensure one of them would die and three would be dragged into this anyway.

"Tick tock, Tom. You're wasting time. Every minute you waste, I'll pick someone. If you don't pick at least one person by the end of three minutes, someone will die." Thomas didn't want to play this game. "Start picking." He didn't want to be responsible for the others, knowing he could barely keep himself alive. He only lived because on Minho, Newt, and the others.

"Jordan Parrish. You're coming." Thomas snapped from his thoughts, swearing that surely a minute hadn't passed. "Come on, Tom. You're wasting time. Just pick."

Thomas felt like someone was tearing his life apart, again. He couldn't just pick and drag any of them into this. Their blood would be on his hands, and he already had enough on there to last a lifetime. Remembering Chuck and Alby was enough to make him want to never allow anyone else to risk their life for his.

"Malia Tate." Aris' voice startled him. Their eyes met. "Come on, Tom. You're supposed to be better than this. You're supposed to be 'the chosen one'. You're going to let someone die because you don't want to choose? Now that's selfish of you." Thomas looked at Minho for help, wishing he could bring the Asian in there.

"Thomas, you could pick me. I can do it, handle whatever you went through." Stiles spoke up, but Thomas shook his head. He couldn't do that to John and Melissa, not after everything they did for him. They took him in, gave him a home, a new life. They were the first kind people since the gladers, since Brenda and Jorge. He refused to take their children away.

"Ten seconds, Tom, until Sonya kills someone. Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One..."

"Isaac!" It was the first name that came to his mind, almost regretting it as soon as it came out. He saw the way the blond hunched his shoulders, eyes at the ground. Saw the way Derek froze. How Scott placed a hand on the other's shoulder and whispered words into his ear.

"See, that wasn't so hard." Aris smiled brightly. "I would have picked Lydia, your party is all muscle and no brains. She balances it out. But who knows, you might just surprise us." Thomas stepped forward, wanting to punch Aris for enjoying this.

"I wouldn't make any sudden movements, Thomas." Harriet's voice startled him. "Let's go. We have to leave now if we want to start the new phase on time." She surveyed the group before looking at Aris, who nodded. She reached up her finger to her ear, a communication device. "Tranq them."

Thomas wanted to protest the need for it, but he could hear the gasps as the others were hit, feeling the sting of something hitting him.

"I'll find you, Thomas." Minho's words echoed in his head as darkness consumed him.


	10. Regrouping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas learns that the new phase casts new roles on the three he was partnered with. More than that, he learns of another group involved in the Phase and old faces return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I regret nothing~

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Thomas hated how sluggish his body felt. He felt like he had been run over by a hoard of cranks. Everything hurt and wanted to protest moving. He just wanted to go back to sleep. However, memories began to flood back.

The deputy, Malia, and Isaac.

The teen opened his eyes and surveyed around him. Isaac was awake, watching them from the corner of the room. His breathing was rather harsh, fingers digging into his legs that were drawn up to his chest. Malia and Parrish were still down for the count.

"Has anyone come in since you got up?" Thomas was surprised by his own question.

"No," there was an edge to Isaac's voice that Thomas didn't like.

"Alright. Let's get the other two up so we can get out of this room." He watched the way Isaac scrambled from his corner to wake up Malia. Thomas was grateful that the officer was waking up when he stepped over.

"Deputy, we need to move." Thomas helped him to his feet.

"Is this going to be something common?" Thomas let out a chuckle.

"Getting locked in strange places or getting knocked out? The locked in random places, yes. The knocked out? Nope." Thomas headed towards the door, grateful that it opened. It felt like deja vu.

As he stepped out of the room, there were no bodies. No mess in the hallways. It was empty of life.

"It smells like disinfectant, I can't catch any scents." Malia scrunched her nose.

"Alright. If we're working together. I want to know what is up with that? That's not the first time anyone has said that. We're going to need to trust each other so we can work together to get out of here." To find Newt and Gally and escape.

"I'm a werewolf, Malia is a were-coyote, and we're not sure what Parrish is, but we're supernatural creatures with advanced senses and healing." Thomas was quiet as he stared at Isaac.

"Right. So do you _hear_ anything?" Thomas swore he was going crazy, that everyone was going crazy.

He watched as both Isaac and Malia strained to hear anything, both shaking their heads. But Thomas found him stopping Malia, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What?"

"Hold still." He moved aside her hair, staring at the back of her neck. "Subject C2, The Survivor." He muttered. So they were now tattooed like the rest. Had WICKED given them the swipe, too?

"What?" Malia was confused.

"Back when we first escaped the Glade, we got tattooed on the back of our neck. Minho is subject A7, and his says The Leader. Newt is Subject A5, The Glue. Mine is Subject A2, To Be Killed By Group B." Thomas looked at the others. "I take it that you three are Group C."

"And we have these tattoos, too?" Thomas nodded at Parrish's question. "What does mine say?" Thomas moved so he could get a look.

"Subject C1, The warrior." They all looked at Isaac, who reluctantly moved so they could see his. Everyone was silent.

"What?" Isaac swallowed hard. "What does it say?"

"Noth-" Thomas started.

"It says 'Subject C3, The sacrifice.'" Malia cut Thomas off. The Glader just glared at her. "What. He would have heard your lie. Now that this is all done and over with, I say we get out of here."

Thomas watched Isaac as they walked. The guy was a weird mixture of Newt and Minho and still different. Thomas could tell the guy was a little scared, but was hiding it. There was just something about him that made Thomas trust that he wouldn't give up without a fight.

"It's okay to be scared," Thomas nudged Isaac. "A brave shank told me that 'if you ain't scared then you ain't human.'" Isaac chuckled, but stopped when he pulled Thomas to a stop, Malia stopping Parrish.

"I hear a heartbeat." They had gone a while without seeing or hearing any sign of life. They walked slowly, cautiously.

"Thomas, you're wasting time." Brenda's voice shattered the silence.

"Brenda?" Thomas took off running, the other three following him. The elder female was standing in the hallway. Her outfit was different from when last he saw her. She was in tactical gear, WCKD on her shoulder patches. She held a clipboard in hand. Her eyes softened when she saw him.

"Good. We have a time table to keep to, Thomas. Hello, Isaac, Jordan, Malia. We have been watching Beacon Hills and have high hopes in you three. Now, come along. Director Janson is waiting." Brenda turned on her heels and began to walk down the corridor.

"Where's Jorge? Gally? Newt? I was promised to be reunited with Newt? What about the Galders? Where are they? And Group B?" Brenda halted and looked at Thomas.

"You will learn everything with time, Thomas. Right now is not the time. Janson is waiting." Thomas frowned but followed silently this time. Brenda opened a door and motioned for them to enter the room. There were four seats. "Please take a seat." Brenda stood by the door as the group took seats.

"Is everything going to get worse, Brenda?" Thomas looked at the female. Minho said she was on their side, Thomas had to trust that she still was.

"Change is not always bad, Thomas." Was her clipped reply before a throat was cleared. Thomas snapped his attention to Janson. He was quite used to the other appearing in such a manner.

"Good, good. I see we have our Group C. I take it that Group D has been prepped, Brenda." Janson looked at the female by the door.

"They have been, sir." Janson nodded.

"Now, let us get down to business. It has been some time, Thomas. I trust you are well. Let me speak before you ask questions, I'm sure you have many of them." Janson clasped his hands together, leaning forward a little. "Currently, you are stationed in one of our smaller facilities. It has been abandoned to prepare for this phase to begin. You must have also learned of the Flare not existing. In truth, the Flare is only what we named it. For you see, we needed something that would band you and your friends together. We were not lying when we said some of you are immune to the disease. However, that disease is not the Flare. No. There was something greater than such a disease. Now, it is up to you to discover it, Thomas. I have had Brenda prepare everything for your next phase. Do not fail, for you know that death will await any mishaps." Janson leaned back. "Oh, and there will be no military coming to save you this time. They're too preoccupied."

"Where is Newt and the others?" Janson shook his head.

"You just have to be patient, Thomas. You will reunite with all of your friends in due time. Now, you must prepare. The next phase begins soon. Good luck." And Janson was gone.

"I would love to punch him," Brenda muttered. "Let's go. We have weapons to obtain and a meet up with Gally. He should be with Group D." Brenda motioned for them to follow her.

"What's going on?" Parrish questioned, voicing what all of them wanted to know.

"So, from what I've gathered, WICKED has been researching something that effects the population and wants to eradicate it. Some people are immune, but they're not sure why. Thomas is one of them. It's like the disease lives in him but never manifests itself. This is all I've gathered, well... What I can understand." Brenda explained as they walked.

"What about this Group D?" Thomas questioned.

"You don't have to worry about Group D. This is nothing like Phase one or two, you will not be competing against each other. You will be working together. Their leader is Newt, although you'll know the other members, Thomas." Brenda paused before turning to Thomas. She wore a frown.

"You look like you're about to tell me bad news or something." The female shook her head.

"Thomas, understand that while you and your group are immune, because of your immunity and them being supernatural... Group D, they're infected. Not with the Flare but by WICKED's doing. You will need to keep your head in this phase." She glanced at the door in front of them. "They're beyond there with Gally. But Thomas," Brenda squeezed his arm. "They're not really the ones you knew. You need to remember that in order to live." Thomas nodded, unsure what Brenda was talking about.

"Let's go." Malia brushed by them and opened the door. They entered slowly, but Thomas stopped as he gazed at the other members in the room.

He meet the familiar eyes of Newt first, something wild behind the eyes he was so used to seeing filled with determination. Gally was next to him, taser in hand while he watched the other three members of Group D. Chuck was settled in a chair, actually seeming surprised at seeing him come through the door. Alby was wearing a frown, arms crossed. And if Alby's expression seemed a mixture of bored and annoyed, Ben's expression swore that he would murder Thomas in his sleep.

All that came to mind was that he swore they were all dead.


	11. A Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Multiple times they get warned, but it's Gally's final warning to Thomas that has him wondering exactly what WICKED is up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "orz Midterms are over and somehow I survived. Here's an update in celebration. I'm not satisfied with it, but... I really needed to update this. And it does give hints at where this story is going.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Everything was quiet as both groups just gazed at each other. Thomas himself was at a loss. He wondered if he looked like a fish, mouth opening and shutting.

"Well, don't just stand in the doorway. We have a bloody phase to get through." Newt was the one to shatter the silence. Group C entered.

"Alright, now that we have everyone together," Brenda began, tucking a couple strands behind her ear, "We need to get this out in the open." She looked at Gally who sighed.

"Welcome to WICKED, you're now a part of the final phase. Stay alive and don't die. But, more importantly, trust only yourself." Gally was staring at the new kids. Thomas wondered if Gally knew something they didn't.

"Before we get you your weapons, are there any questions?" Brenda took charge. Everyone was quiet before Thomas raised his hand.

"Minho said you two were on our side." He felt like it was a lie. They weren't acting it.

"Thomas, you're a stupid shank." Gally muttered and rolled his eyes.

"Thomas, you have to understand. We _are_ on your side. If we were to suddenly pull you out, WICKED would know. You have to go through this phase. There is a plan to take down WICKED, yes. However, it requires everyone here to start the new phase." Thomas frowned.

"And what is this plan? Why are you so secretive about it?" Brenda glanced at Gally, who simply shook his head.

"You'll learn when the time comes, now let's go. There's a time schedule to keep to. Last thing we need is Janson making this phase more difficult than it already is." Gally motioned for them to follow him.

Thomas watched Newt and the others. Newt was avoiding eye contact, looking away if their eyes met. Chuck was still glancing at him, unsure if he should speak up or not. Alby and Ben weren't paying him much mind, although Ben was still glaring at him.

"You alright, Chuck?" Thomas spoke in a quiet voice. The younger male shifted closer. There was just something about the kid that was comforting. It was a welcomed feeling since he missed the other since the Glade.

"All's good, Thomas. You've been getting into trouble, or so Gally and Newt told us." Thomas wondered what was said. "I don't really remember dying." Chuck frowned and watched the ground as they walked.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Thomas frowned.

"Gally with the dagger... I had to protect you. My body moved on its own, but that single thought kept going through my head. I remember telling you to find my mom..." Chuck was quiet for a moment. "And that's it. Then I woke up in a room in WICKED's medical bay, they were observing me. They gave me this." Chuck showed his neck to Thomas. He frowned at what he say.

_Subject D1, The Pawn_

"Things will work out this time, Chuck. We're all going to get out of here. It's amazing out there. Beautiful like the Glade but without Grievers to worry about. There's so much to see." Thomas actually missed it.

"Newt said you had a family." Thomas nodded.

"I've got a dad and a twin brother." Thomas stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I also have a nice step-mother and step-brother." He wondered what they were feeling with him gone again. They had just gotten him back only for him to be taken away again.

"Do you think I have family?" Chuck's question was quiet and Thomas almost didn't hear it.

"Of course. And if you don't, I know of a really nice family that already has three boys that would have no problem including one of the boys' unofficial little brother into the mix and making it official." Chuck grinned up at him with the brightest expression that he hadn't seen since the Glade, back when life was simple.

"So," Parrish spoke up. "What exactly are we dealing with?"

"You don't want to be surprised, Deputy?" Brenda teased, a smile on her lips. "I don't blame you. Versus the Scorch, you're in a modern city. It's dangerous, yes, but it's safer than remaining in a WICKED facility." They stopped outside a door and Gally opened it.

"Gear up. You'll need warmer clothes and weapons." Thomas found what he could and geared up. There wasn't much being offered to them. Winter jackets, backpacks, launchers, knives, and pistols. However, none of them were complaining.

"Now that we're ready, follow me." Brenda lead them once more. Thomas felt like there was something seriously wrong in the pit of his stomach. Brenda seemed tense and Gally looked like he could kill, not that he didn't usually look like that anyway. As they reached the hanger, Gally pulled Thomas back.

"Look, Thomas." Gally looked uncomfortable. "I know those shanks mean something to you... Except Ben. But Alby, Newt, and Chuck... They're not human anymore. You can't trust them completely, not while they're WICKED's pet experiments."

Thomas stared at Gally, mouth open. "What did they do to them?" He had to know, wanted to know.

"The Outside world is a terrible place, full of terrible creatures. You walked in here with three. WICKED wants to eradicate them all. And you eight are the guinea pigs." Thomas frowned, trying to remember anything about it. "Don't think too hard, Thomas. I saw the file, the swipe is still blocking your true memories. You'll remember everything soon enough."

With that, Gally returned to the group. Thomas gazed at the other Gladers. He wanted to ask what Gally meant that they weren't human. They looked just as human as him, but so did Isaac, Malia, and Parrish.

He swallowed as he caught up to the group. Malia glanced at him, frown evident as she raised an eyebrow. It was clear she was questioning what happened, and it left Thomas shaking his head. She simply dropped it.

The hanger door opened, starting the first step of their journey. The cold white world outside the door made him forget his worries about his friends. No. The brisk air of winter, and little bits of snow that made its way into the hanger, had Thomas more worried about the new phase instead.


	12. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What are you?" His voice shook a little.
> 
> "That's a secret, Tommy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I'll start doing a small clip from each chapter in the summary. Sorry, I became extremely stressed between work and school and car trouble, but I'm de-stressing by writing. I promise at least one more update to this story and maybe updates to other fics or some one shots.
> 
> No beta, so enjoy the train wreck that is this chapter.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

"I feel like my fingers are going to fall off," Malia groaned after an hour of walking. Thomas observed the others. Isaac was shivering, Malia looked miserable, Parrish seemed lost, Newt was struggling, Alby was aiding Chuck, who looked like he was going to collapse, and even Ben looked like he needed a break.

"Brenda said we had to make it to the town before nightfall. Survive a week, that's it." That was the phase. Of course, they were warned the town was dangerous, but they survived worse. The heat of the Scorch was the polar opposite of the cold they were now forced into.

"I'd take the bloody Scorch over this," Newt grumbled as he trudged on. They all did.

"Alright so I have no idea what I'm being put through," the deputy spoke up. He hefted his bag a little and Thomas couldn't help but feel bad.

"So, you know WICKED is an evil organization that kidnapped kids and put them through trials that lead to death and destruction. Now you're part of it, one going through the trial." It was the simple explanation he could come up with on the spot.

"Great." The deputy muttered. "I don't get paid enough for half the crap I get put through." Thomas wanted to question it, but didn't.

"The city doesn't seem too far but I feel like we'll all freeze before we get there." Ben grumbled. It didn't seem like they were getting any closer to the city than before. Or maybe he was just too tired and the snow was effecting them.

"Let's just trudge on. We can't take breaks or we'll freeze to death," they continued on. The snow kicked up and the group huddled closer together so they wouldn't get lost.

It seemed like hours before the snow storm began to die down. A figure was approaching them and it caused them to slow. The person was bundled up, but Thomas swore he felt like they were dangerous.

"Tom Tom," Aris' voice greeted him with glee over the sound of the wind. "You guys are slow. Come on, the others are waiting." It only felt like minutes before they were in the city. Thomas wondered if it was all a trick in their mind? The snow making it seem like they walked further than they had.

The city was covered in snow and ice. Smoke filtered into the sky from many of the buildings. Heat seemed to radiate from each building they passed by. Thomas swore he saw people in the windows look out but then disappear. He wondered exactly what they were getting into. However, they were soon at their destination.

Aris ushered them in, inside was Teresa and a girl Thomas wasn't familiar with. "Hi, I'm Rachel. Aris said you wouldn't remember me, Thomas." Thomas frowned. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Then again, so were some of the people in the room.

"This will be your base of operations." Teresa spoke up. "We can watch you. No sound, but we can watch. This town is infested with unwanted things. You're to rid the town of them while leaving the innocent alive. We'll send word when you succeed or fail with a kill." Her words were cold and empty.

"We've stocked up the fridge, food specific for each of you. Well, for Newt and Ben. We will send more food weekly, so don't worry. You won't starve." Aris smiled.

"Any questions before we leave?" Thomas was getting a headache trying to pay attention to who was talking.

"Why are you doing this?" Parrish spoke up.

"Because there's dangers in this world, Deputy. They need to be stopped. In order to do that, we have to observe." Rachel crossed her arms.

"What are these evils?" Parrish questioned once more.

"The supernatural, of course." Teresa shrugged. "Not all supernatural creatures are good. Not everyone in this town are innocent. It is your job to put down the dangerous and we will observe." Thomas frowned. So that was it? WICKED wanted to get in on hunting?

"And if we refuse?" Isaac growled.

"Let's just say that you don't want to find out." Aris responded. "Now, get settled in. There's four rooms with comfortable beds and two warm showers. You'll know when the hunt begins. Chuck will give the sound." The trio saw themselves out.

"We should claim rooms." Alby spoke up.

"I'll room with Newt. Alby, you and Ben. Uh Deputy, you and Chuck. Malia and Isaac." If anyone had arguments to the arrangements, they didn't speak up.

Thomas watched Newt as he settled into his bed. There was something wrong, something different. "Why are you staring?" Thomas blinked at the words.

"I'm worried about you." He spoke honestly. "Minho told me they kidnapped you and now they keep acting like you're different."

"I _am_ different, Tommy. We're all different. You know what the flare is? Was?" Thomas shook his head and the blond laughed. His eyes began to glow white. "It was something within us waking up... something supernatural." His eyes returned back to normal.

Thomas wasn't sure when he stopped breathing, but he knew it when he finally had to take in a sharp breath. "What are you?" His voice shook a little.

"That's a secret, Tommy." The blond turned back to his things. That's when Thomas noticed the new tattoo on Newt's neck.

_Subject D4, To Double-cross Both Groups_


	13. Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But it makes me wonder..." Alby began, "What makes certain people immune?" Everyone went quiet once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Promised a second update. I kinda like this one a little more than the last.
> 
> Enjoy the train wreck and I'll see you on the other side.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

_"I_ am _different, Tommy. We're all different. You know what the flare is? Was?" Thomas shook his head and the blond laughed. His eyes began to glow white. "It was something within us waking up... something supernatural."_

Thomas snapped awake, fingers clutching the blanket. The words haunted him in his sleep. He just gazed over at Newt, who was sleeping peacefully. He was frustrated with WICKED, blaming them for everything.

He got up and left the room as quietly as possible. The entire house seemed eerily quiet, the sound of the wind outside the only noise. However, he heard whispers as he reached the kitchen.

Thomas honestly was a little surprised to find Alby in the kitchen with Parrish, Malia, and Isaac. They were talking in hushed tones but looked up when he entered the room. Gally's words of trusting only himself came back to mind but he shook his head.

"So, everyone is something supernatural?" The others seemed to frown at his question, but Alby just crossed his arms. He seemed to be the leader he once was in the Glade.

"From what we could gather, everyone not immune was infected by the Flare. Or rather, what they code named the Flare." Thomas nodded.

"He's D2, the Servant." Malia spoke up. So they had been discussing their titles.

"Did they tell you what you guys are?" Thomas joined them at the table.

"Even if we knew, it's still foreign to us. Just this... itch beneath our skin. Chuck has shown no signs, but Newt and Ben..." Alby's voice trailed off.

"They're something dangerous." Thomas finished. There had been something in those white eyes that spoke of murder.

"They're still the same shanks... almost. This flare, it's some messed up klunk, Thomas." The brunet sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"So we're not hunters. We're the supernatural hunting the supernatural." Isaac spoke up, changing the topic.

"The question is why?" Thomas was curious.

"Maybe they're really hellbent on removing the supernatural from the world?" Malia shrugged. "Infect those not immune with some strain of supernatural dna, create their own monsters, and see if they can hold up against the real thing?"

"Sounds very Frankenstein to me," Isaac muttered.

"But it would make sense. It's like they're building an army." Parrish leaned forward, having everyone's attention. "Think about it. You said they captured you guys. Think of how many people could end up in their clutches? Human trafficking is a real problem that could only get worse if this organization got involved. There's no telling how many they could have infected." Everyone was quiet for a moment, thinking.

"All the more reason to take them down." Thomas declared.

"But it makes me wonder..." Alby began, "What makes certain people immune?" Everyone went quiet once more. Mostly they were gazing at Thomas.

"We'll find out soon enough. Tommy is, after all, a sleeper agent." Newt's voice spoke up.


	14. We're all something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nail gets driven home that everyone is something, although Thomas isn't sure he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was unhappy with where I was going, but decided to not change things and instead... this fic is somehow going to be longer than I wanted/expected. So buckle your seat belts because here's a bunch of chapters at once.
> 
> Yes, you'll learn what everyone is (except Thomas).

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

"We'll find out soon enough. Tommy is, after all, a sleeper agent." Newt's voice spoke up. It confused them. "It's on the back of his neck." Thomas was dying to see it. It was Parrish who confirmed the words were there.

It left Thomas sitting there, wondering. Was he something dangerous? Why didn't he feel this itch like Alby? Instead, he felt nothing. He felt as normal as he did yesterday and the day before that and the week before that.

"So we have an unknown," Alby spoke up.

"Seems so." Newt leaned against the table. Everyone was quiet once more.

Malia and Isaac both perked up, as if listening to something. Everyone else watched them. It took a second before they heard footsteps, ones that came down the stairs. They went to see, to watch Chuck head to the front door in nothing but his pajamas.

"Chuck?" Thomas was up and moving, but the younger male didn't seem to acknowledge him, nor hear him.

"Banshee." Malia muttered. "Just like Lydia." They all followed after Chuck, Alby muttering about getting Ben and joining them.

The snow had stopped falling but it didn't make the outdoors any warmer. Thomas rubbed at his arms as they followed Chuck. He seemed to just be moving on instinct, something drawing him in. He honestly wasn't sure what a banshee was, but hoped it wasn't a trap.

As they got near, Chuck just seemed to stop. They all then noticed what he found. Something was hunched over a body, sharp teeth locked on its throat. Thomas swore he was going to be sick. Malia growled and the creature looked up, hissing.

"What is that?" Chuck's voice startled them. Thomas just grabbed the younger male and pulled him close, taking a couple steps back as the creature began to stand. Whatever it was, it wasn't friendly.

"Fresh meat," the creature hissed. It's blue snake-like eyes raked over each of them before settling on Thomas.

"You think this is what they meant?" Malia questioned. They were to kill creatures like this?

"Sounds about right to me," Isaac replied.

"He's poisonous. If he bites you, it'll immobilize you." Ben's voice startled them. "Me and Alby got this one." He cracked his knuckles as they both brushed past them.

Newt began to force the group to leave, although Thomas caught a glimpse of Ben's features shifting to be similar to the creature he was going to take down. It was quick, but he knew what he saw and it shocked him. The sound of skin pulling apart made him wince, but he could no longer turn back to see what happened. He just had to believe in Alby and Ben to not die.

"We should help them," Thomas honestly didn't want to leave them there.

"And do what? Think about it. You're pretty much useless, as is Chuck. The rest of us are the only ones who could put up a fight." Newt's words stung.

"There's weapons..."

"Yeah, back at the house." The words caused the brunet to go silent.

"What was that? And what is your friend Alby?" The Deputy spoke up. The group was quiet, the sound of snow crunching under their feet being the only noise being made by them.

"That creature is a Vetala. If that's out here, I wouldn't be surprised at what other creatures we run into." Newt sniffed the air and Thomas swore he noticed the blond's eyes shift pure white for a minute. "It's dead, by the way."

Newt opened the door to their house, not noticing the looks the group behind him gave each other. "So is that what we're supposed to do? Police the town?" Thomas spoke up after he deemed that they had been quiet for too long. Well, Malia and Isaac had been whispering to each other, but he didn't count that.

"Apparently," Malia responded.

"What is a banshee? What's a vetala for that matter? And why us?" Everyone was quiet before the front door opened and closed. The sound of the lock being turned echo'd throughout the house.

"Is there a super secret meeting going on?" Alby and Ben appeared in the doorway. Ben was covered in more blood than Alby, but it was Alby who had a slightly torn shirt. The back looked like it had been torn a little by something, a weird color staining most of the back of the shirt, too.

"Tommy is just being a shank," Newt shrugged but there was no heat in his words. "A banshee is a death omen, as you saw. And a vetala is just a venomous vampire lizard."

"What?" Thomas was even more confused than before. How did a venomous vampire lizard even make sense in any universe?

"A lizard that drinks blood like a vampire," Ben spoke up and Thomas just nodded slowly. That still made no sense to him, but he had never accepted the supernatural to be a reality before. So why not.

"I'm going to bed," Newt muttered as he left the room. Thomas just watched. Although he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He turned to notice Alby.

"What has happened since we've been united again, our group, it hasn't been easy. You two were close in the Glade so figure this like trying to get used to someone new. We're all different, unlike the Gladers we were before. It's difficult to get used to it and even more so when Newt worries about how others will perceive him." Thomas swallowed with a nod.

"Go check on him," Parrish suggested as he leaned back against one of the counter spaces. The suggestion sounded like a good one so Thomas excused himself.

"Are we really going to trust both of them?" Thomas heard Ben question as he was leaving the room.

"Yes, until they give us reason otherwise." Isaac responded. Thomas wondered when they all seemed to become one larger group. One that seemed to not trust him or Newt.

Newt was curled up in his bed when Thomas entered the room. He noticed the way the blond stiffened as he came in. He wondered why. "Is it something I said? Something I did?" Thomas licked his lips, nervous about what the other might say.

"It's not you, Tommy. It's me." Thomas felt like it was the beginning of a break up and they had never been anything official. Actually, he was barely even sure if Newt liked him. He had begun to feel like it back at the last base before they were rescued, but all of that got pushed to the side with the events going on.

"Talk to me, Newt. What's going on in that head of your's." Thomas sat down on the bed beside the blond, reaching out to run his fingers through the blond strands.

"Cranks are creatures, Tommy. Dangerous creatures that have a real name." The British teen shifted a little and glanced up, a sad expression on his face. "We're called wendigos and we are extremely intelligent but still cannibalistic."

Thomas was quiet, just staring. So the Flare, what Newt was beginning to experience. It wasn't going to go away. It was going to destroy the other once more, possibly get worse than him snapping. The words on the back of the blond's neck, that he would betray all of them, came to mind. Did it have something to do with that?

"It's alright, Newt." He took a deep breath, trying to pretend like he had just digested the words rather than them floating around his head like an angry bee.

"No it's not!" Newt shot up, startling Thomas, who almost fell off the bed. "You don't know how good you smell, Thomas. There's just this urge, a need that I keep pushing down, to see if you taste as good as you smell." That wild look was back in Newt's eyes. It actually was a little unsettling.

"I'll fix this." The laugh that escaped the British teen's lips was cold and cruel.

"Fix this?" Newt waved around them. "There's no fixing any of this, Tommy. And if you think you can, then you have klunk for brains." The blond dropped back down on his bed, pulling the covers back up.

"Just wait, Newt. I'm going to fix this. You'll see." He was met with silence, even though he knew Newt was still awake.

But Thomas couldn't help but wonder why he felt like he had to fix things. It was becoming more than just a desire, it was a need. It was like there was this unknown part telling him that he was to blame. And something made him feel like it was actually true.


	15. An itch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas doesn't feel that itch, a telltale sign that he's something. The uncertainty settles under his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Newtmas fluff doesn't hurt~ Figure I owe you guys that much.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Thomas couldn't sleep, not when he felt like guilt was weighing him down. He was beginning to know what everyone was, but himself. To be immune, wouldn't you already have to be something that wouldn't appear? And there was this nagging feeling that all of this is his fault. That he really is the reason all of this is happening.

"You alright, Thomas?" Chuck's voice snapped him from his thoughts. The younger boy just wandered over to the couch and sat down, ignoring the fact Thomas was cocooned in a blanket and staring at the fireplace.

"I think this is all my fault..." Just releasing the words made him feel better.

"How could it be your fault? You've been trapped in all of this like the rest of us." Chuck's words were right, but that itch wouldn't leave. There was a voice saying it was his fault.

"I'm... I'm something." Thomas closed his eyes, trying to find any trace of something lurking beneath the surface. However, he felt nothing.

"You don't seem like anything," Chuck shrugged.

"Do you... Do you feel weird? Different than how you felt in the Glade?" Thomas' question was quiet.

"Not really." Chuck turned his attention to his lap. "I feel like myself. If I didn't know better, I wouldn't think I was different than how I was back then." They fell into silence for a couple minutes. "So... You and Newt..."

"What?" Thomas glanced at Chuck who had a grin on his face.

"I always knew you liked him. Although I thought it was Minho for the longest time." Thomas couldn't help but scratch his cheek.

"We're just friends, Chuck." Because, his mind supplied, he wasn't allowed to have nice things. Whenever something good happened, WICKED always came to ruin it.

"You keep telling yourself that, shuckface. Newt seemed a little happier whenever he talked about you and you seem more comfortable with him. You watch him more than you do anyone else, even Ben." Thomas decided to just keep quiet, staring at his hands.

"I didn't think-"

"You never think, Thomas." Chuck's words were fond. "I'll get you two together. It's my job now." The younger teen jumped to his feet.

"Wait. What?" Thomas blinked, turning his attention to the chuckling teen.

"Exactly what I said, shank. Now I'm going to sleep. You should try it, too." Thomas was left alone once more.

"But everything is different," Thomas muttered to himself. "I couldn't protect him and they got to him." He took a deep breath. "And what if this is all really my fault? I'd be the reason his life is fucked up." And that last thought messed with his head. The decision to try and ignore this conversation weighed heavy on his mind as he trudged back to his room with Newt.

The blond was sitting up, half awake as Thomas entered the room. "Tommy?" Just the name had the weight on his shoulders fall away. It felt comfortable here, like everything was fine. The heavy weight from their conversation earlier was gone.

"Sorry if I woke you," Thomas climbed into his bed, wishing it wasn't so cold.

"I wasn't really sleeping all that well." Even Thomas knew it was a lie. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Don't worry, just go back to sleep." The room fell silent and Thomas began to believe that Newt actually listened to him and fell back asleep. But then he heard the ruffling of Newt's bed and then feet crossing the room. It was only a couple seconds later before Thomas could see the blond standing in front of him, blankets wrapped around him.

"Budge over." Thomas was quiet as he did as told. Newt dropped the blanket on top of Thomas' before crawling underneath the double layer of blankets.

"What are you doing?" Newt took a deep breath.

"I thought all of this was done and over with. After the Glade... After the Scorch... I don't want to deal with this anymore, Tommy." Newt's voice was quiet as he spoke, Thomas straining just to hear.

"Newt..."

"No." Newt cut him off. "We don't have Minho this time and, bloody hell, our new titles." Thomas reached for the back of his neck. "I can't help but wonder who is going to die this time." Newt was shaking, attempting to draw in a deep breath. "I don't want to lose anyone again. So if I..." Newt paused, chewing on his lip, but Thomas still clung to the other's words. "If I go to hurt someone, stop me. You got that? I need you to promise to stop me, Tommy."

The remembrance of the wording on the back of Newt's neck came to mind. It was followed by familiar words of only trusting himself. He wondered if he could actually stop Newt, unsure the full extent of what the blond could do. Minho would never forgive him if something happened to Newt and Thomas would never be able to look at him again.

"Promise me," the request sounded so broken. It wasn't anything like the Newt he had been dealing with since getting taken back by WICKED. It reminded him of the Newt from the Glade. Of the shank who wanted to protect everyone and hated leaving people behind.

"I promise," Thomas breathed out.

"Good that." The weight of the promised weighed heavily on his gut.


	16. Breaking Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He feels it, that itch. However, it grows into something bigger than Thomas could have imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, you're free to sing "Breaking Free" from HSM. Because I seriously did for a minute. Didn't want to do this so soon, but it kinda happened and I went along with it. My stories end up not going how I imagine them in my head. I'm in for a ride just like you lot.
> 
> Note this was written BEFORE 5B of Teen Wolf and them including Skinwalkers. So it refers a little more towards real Skinwalker lore than Teen Wolf.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

It felt like an itch, right under the skin. Or perhaps it was a voice. It felt faint, like someone was trying to reach him and he wasn't having any of it. However, no one was actually talking to him. They were all in discussion about the skinwalker that Malia took out while on their daily scouting mission.

Five supernatural creatures down and no word of if they were progressing the way WICKED hoped.

"You alright there, Thomas?" Alby was standing in front of him, actually looking concerned.

"Yeah, just..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I feel like we're missing something." Alby raised an eyebrow.

"What's he going on about?" Newt wandered over.

"It's just... a feeling I'm getting." Thomas clasped his hands together, bouncing his knee. He noticed that Chuck had zoned out, watching his leg with every bounce. The younger boy's lips seem to be moving but no words coming out. "You alright there, Chuck?"

"You're causing this, Thomas." Chuck snapped out of his trance when Thomas stopped moving his leg.

"What?" It felt like someone splashed cold ice on him. He suddenly felt freezing.

"They're using you, Thomas. I could hear her, can't you? You need to shatter this reality." Thomas gripped his arms, the itch was growing.

He swore he could see it, right past Chuck. The walls flickered white for a second. But it returned as his breath hitched.

"Tommy?" Newt's voice sounded too far away.

"I caused all of this." He got to his feet. He wasn't sure why this was happening, how he could fix it. But, some part of him knew, that this world was crumbling.

"Honestly, Tom." Teresa entered the front door, keys in hand. "You weren't supposed to break this easily." She glared at Chuck. "Perhaps a banshee was the wrong person to add to this group. You talked to their's, didn't you." Thomas could see it, outside the door.

There was no outside world anymore. He could see a hallway. Aris stood there with several guards, launchers in hand. But it flickered out after a second.

"Come on, Tom. You're becoming unstable." Thomas took a step back as Teresa took a step forward.

"You'll back off," Jordan stepped in front of Thomas, the others stepping forward as well.

"We'll reset this whole trial again if we must." Teresa's voice was cold. Thomas saw the flicker again as he felt Newt grab his hand.

"Tommy? What are you doing?" Thomas glanced at the blond.

"I'm so sorry, Newt. I need to find out what's really going on." Thomas slipped around the others and he saw it once more, the door flickered. He reached for it, wanting it to remain.

Then came the crackle of lightning before the pain. He convulsed, the world around him flashing between the familiar house they had been set in and a cold, bare white room. He wanted to scream, the pain one he had never wanted to repeat.

But, as he was closing his eyes, he knew that he broke whatever spell had been cast on their group.


	17. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas learns that he really should have listened to Gally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So remember that Newtmas fluff? Remember that as you read this chapter. I'm sorry. More sorry that it's so short than anything.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Thomas whimpered as he came back to himself. He couldn't exactly move. His head lulled to the side as he glanced at the restraints. He could see Newt watching him, eyes focused on him.

"You weren't supposed to wake up so soon, Tommy." The blond moved forward, running his fingers through the brunet's hair. "Poor, Tommy. Are you in pain?" Newt cocked his head to the side.

"Newt..." His throat hurt to talk.

"People are going to die, Tommy, and it's all your fault. You caused this." The grip in his hair tightened for a second before the hand was gone.

"Newt..." He tried again.

"Honestly, Tommy. You would think to heed the titles a little more. The pawn. You should have known that Chuck would start this whole thing going. And what about the other titles? Huh?" Thomas knew then that he was the sleeper agent because he created the world they had been in. "You're thinking wrong, I can tell by that look on your face." Thomas frowned but it hurt to do. "Your role isn't finished yet, Tommy." Newt's touch on his face was gentle. "Because we're going to find out what makes you so special."

"Newt." Thomas wanted to move his hand to reach out for the other.

"Launchers must be a bloody nightmare. You're a natural target for them," Newt hummed as he actually undid the bindings. "Me, Alby, and Ben were all in on this. It was our job, after all."

_"Trust no one"_

Gally's words came back to him. This was exactly what he had been warned against.

"What now?" Newt smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

"They're coming, those new friends of yours. We're going to join them." Newt helped Thomas sit up, eyes trailing over the other's body. "But you can't remember this." Newt wandered to the door, tugging it open. Aris was on the other side.

"You like to talk, Newt." The teen wandered in. "Hey there, Thomas. We feeling alright? Sorry about the launcher, but don't worry. You'll heal." Aris reached out and placed a hand on both sides of Thomas' head. "And don't worry, you won't remember much of this."


	18. Grateful Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas is reunited with some familiar faces and gets a chance at freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. Here's the last update for a couple days. I promise not to keep you waiting over four months for an update.
> 
> And yes, there is more hardship, more WICKED, and a crap ton more betrayal, learning about what the crap Thomas is, and stuff to come. Just bear with me.

_With the first victory comes the first defeat-_   
_I should have known that none of this was meant to stay._   
_Wicked's the world, so relentless in it's ways._   
_They'll give you hope just to rip it all away._

\---

Thomas felt himself being shaken, a voice frantic in his ears. Alarms were going off. "Tommy! Bloody hell, just get up!" Thomas knew Newt's voice. He just opened his eyes to see the blond. "About time, shank. We need to get going. Something's going on." Thomas struggled to his feet but Newt helped him.

"Where is everyone?" Thomas was slowly waking up.

"I sent Alby to find them. They kept our groups apart since you broke us back to... wherever this place is." Thomas nodded.

"Newt!" Alby's voice caused them to stop. He had gathered Jordan, Malia, Isaac, Chuck, and Ben. Their expressions ranged from surprised, confused, to annoyed.

"Have you seen Brenda? Or Gally?" Alby just shook his head at Thomas' question.

"Alright, you sticks. Let's move. They're distracted." Thomas blinked at Harriet and Sonya. Both smiled at Thomas.

"We're sorry about the woods, really sorry." Harriet spoke up. "So we're going to ensure you get out of here."

"Your friends are here. I'm honestly surprised they got here so quickly." Sonya began to walk, motioning for them to follow her. She had a launcher in hand, but hadn't pointed it at them.

"I have a question. Aris spoke about the swipe back in Beacon Hills." Both girls turned to look at him.

"They're still watching us, observing us all." Harriet spoke first with a frown. "You may think there's a way to remove it, but not with WICKED. They did something..." Harriet's voice trailed off after a minute.

Thomas just watched as they moved, curious if he should suddenly be trusting Harriet and Sonya. However, they moved differently than they did in Beacon Hills. They were now like the two he remembered from the Scorch. They were on alert and overly protective of those around them. It gave the brunet hope that quite possibly they would gain back more and more of the remaining survivors.

"Are you coming with us?" Thomas found himself asking, the girls just shaking their heads.

"No. You guys are getting out of here, that was our promise to Gally and Brenda. We're too much of a risk." Thomas nodded, almost understanding.

"There's only a small window before WICKED can break through the jammer that Brenda set up in their system. It shut down their control of our swipes, allowed us to take our lives back. And we're getting you guys out of here, away from their range." Thomas wanted to protest. Wanted to say that if they controlled Aris and them in Beacon Hills, then there would be no escape for any of them. No place far enough away for them to run.

"You have to believe in us, Thomas." Sonya glanced at him, sincerity on her face. "We want to take down WICKED just as much as you. However, we have to stick to the plan." Thomas wanted to know what plan. Wasn't the plan to be sent into that world?

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Thomas nearly collided with Minho, who was following Frypan with Scott, Stiles, and Derek.

"You're all alive." Scott was looking them over, relief evident.

"Yeah, but we need to get out of here." Newt spoke up, everyone in agreement.

"We have some company." Harriet muttered before turning. "I'll buy you guys some time. Go." Thomas felt grateful for Harriet as they began to run the way Minho and the others came from.

"Where have you been?" Stiles was at his side, doing his best to keep up.

"Hell," was all he could reply. Because that was what it felt like. It felt like there was an itch under his skin, something trying to tell him something. It was like something was off and he just couldn't put a finger on it.

"Well, we're getting out of here." Thomas nodded at his brother's words. He wanted freedom more than anything.

They finally hit the hanger and Fry looked at them. "Only way out is Flat Trans. It's a one way trip, guys. You know the deal." He motioned towards an item hidden and guarded by a couple Gladers.

"Aren't you guys coming with us?" Newt spoke up, asking the question Thomas was dying to ask.

"We're going to try and handle WICKED. Thomas can't get all the glory for everything we've been put through. This isn't just _his_ story," Sonya spoke up. She nodded her head towards the item, looking at the watch on her wrist. "It opens in thirty seconds."

Thomas wasn't sure why he felt nervous. What if this was just another betrayal? What if they weren't going back to Beacon Hills but back to the Scorch?

So many thoughts raced through his mind that he barely recognized when the Flat Trans opened. Minho was quick to motion the others through, until it was just Minho, Newt, and Thomas left.

"Come on, Tommy. Don't you want to go home?" Newt was curious, that much Thomas could tell. But he also sounded tired.

"We don't have much time." Sonya reminded them. "It closes in twenty seconds." Minho stepped through at that, not wasting time. Newt followed after him. "Thomas, go! Or all of this would have been a waste!"

Thomas took a deep breath and stepped through the flat trans. He was greeted by darkness.


End file.
